Partially Sandblasted Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

A mixture of red walnut contrast stain, a darker sandblasted texture, and a piece of swirled, bright mint green bakelite might not seem like the most fitting combination at first, but Abe Herbaugh made excellent use of all three here with his entry for our 2017 American Exposition. The bowl itself displays a subtle asymmetry when viewed head-on, further amplified by the curled, smooth-finished aft and upper-side of the shank, with its broad display of fanning flame at the right flank and more tightly-arranged, sweeping motion at the left. All this serves to lead the eye to the stunning, upward-flicking split saddle stem of swirled bakelite and ebonite, the base of which completes the motion initiated at the base of the bowl and carried through the shank. With all of its interesting shaping cues and textures, needless to say, you might not be able to sit this one down.

- Daniel Bumgardner